Chris Owens (actor)

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Chris Owens
Chris Owens and Farah Merani.jpg
Owens (left) with actress Farah Merani at 2016 CFC Annual BBQ Fundraiser
Born
Christopher Bradley Owens

(1961-09-07) 7 September 1961 (age 63)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationActor
Years active1983–present

Christopher Bradley Owens (born 7 September 1961) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his performances on the television series The X-Files .

Contents

Early life

Owens was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Jeannette, a jazz singer, and Garry Owens, a jazz drummer. [1]

Career

Owens has performed in many feature films, often in minor roles, including appearances in Cocktail and The Recruit . However, he is best known for his performances on the television series The X-Files . Owens initially guest starred as the younger version of William B. Davis's character, the Cigarette Smoking Man, in a 1996 episode "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man". He returned in 1997 in the same role in an episode called "Demons". Later that year, he played the Frankenstein-esque Great Mutato in a surreal episode called "The Post-Modern Prometheus".[ citation needed ]

In 1998, Owens was cast as special agent Jeffrey Spender, son of The Smoking Man and alien abductee Cassandra Spender. [2] Owens was credited as 'Also Starring' but only appeared in eight episodes, spread across the show's fifth and sixth seasons, before his character died at the hand of his father. Owens returned in a 2002 episode called "William", playing a hideously disfigured Jeffrey Spender who had survived the "murder". He appeared a few episodes later in "The Truth", the series finale. [3] Owens appeared one final time as Jeffrey Spender, on January 3rd, 2018, in The X-Files Eleventh Season Premiere, "My Struggle III", in order to warn Agent Scully and also divulged the last name of her son’s adoptive parents.

He has been nominated for numerous awards, including a 2002 Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for The Uncles . [4]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985CagesBilly SimpsonShort film
1987 The Big Town Garage Boy
1988 Cocktail Soldier
1996SabotageYoung Security Guard
1998 Disturbing Behavior Officer Kramer
2000 The Uncles JohnNominated—Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
2003 The Happy Couple Dwayne
2003 The Recruit Art Wallis
2007 Breach Trunk Cataloguer
2008 The Incredible Hulk Commando
2008 High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dancer
2009 Saw VI Additional voices
2010 Red Hanged Man
2010Saw 3D: The Final ChapterAdditional voices
2011 Dream House Tom BarrionUncredited
2017 Molly's Game LA Player
2024 The Apprentice Jay Pritzker

Television films

YearTitleRole
1986As IsPickup #2
1986 9B Steven Lapiere
1987Haunted By Her PastThomas
1996Double JeopardyRocco
1994Paris or SomewhereShawn
1995Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch StoryNebraska
1996Giant MikeTom Aitken
1997Their Second ChanceJeff Colvin
2000PythonBrian Cooper
2001 A Glimpse of Hell Agent Flynn
2001 My Louisiana Sky Lonnie Parker
2002Guilt by AssociationRoger
2002Power and BeautyWeston
2008 Victor Dave Stubbs
2018 Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey Detective Wolf

Television series

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 Hangin' In BrianEpisode: "Video Fever"
1985 Night Heat Mel BraddockEpisode: "Ancient Madness"
1986 Adderly Gang MemberEpisode: "Rich Kid"
1988 9B Steven Lapiere5 episodes
1988 The Campbells Volunteer RiflemanEpisode: "The Rifle Company"
1989 Street Legal Ricky PalmerEpisode: "Slipping Through the Cracks"
1990 Top Cops AstorottiEpisode: "James Garcia/Mike Coleman"
1990 Street Legal Seth CuthbertEpisode: "Standard of Care"
1992 Rin Tin Tin K-9 Cop Episode: "Under Siege"
1993 The Hidden Room Peter SempleEpisode: "The First Battle"
1995 TekWar Roy HenryEpisode: "Chill Factory"
1996 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues TremaineEpisode: "Shaolin Shot"
1996 PSI Factor Deputy Carl HallEpisode: "Reptilian Revenge/Ghostly Voices"
1996–1997 The X-Files Young Cigarette Smoking Man2 episodes
1997 Millennium Deputy Bill ShermanEpisode: "Monster"
1997 The X-Files MutatoEpisode: "The Post-Modern Prometheus"
1998 Stargate SG-1 Armin SeligEpisode: "Secrets"
1998–2018 The X-Files Jeffrey Spender11 episodes
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
1999 The Net Sam LloydEpisode: "Y2K: Total System Failure"
2001 Blue Murder SpeltzEpisode: "Wrongful Convictions"
2001 Lexx BiffEpisode: "Texx Lexx"
2001 Soul Food JimEpisode: "Fly Away Home"
2002 Mutant X Mr. DelayEpisode: "Interface"
2003 Blue Murder John DoeEpisode: "John Doe"
2004 This Is Wonderland Episode: "#1.9"
2004 The Grid PolygrapherEpisode: "#1.2"
2005 1-800-MISSING Episode: "Sisterhood"
2005 Air Crash Investigation Scott LustigEpisode: "Mistaken Identity"
2007 Til Death Do Us Part Carl LawfordEpisode: "The Pond Scum Murder"
2009 The Line Andy15 episodes
2010 Baxter Sam4 episodes
2011 Combat Hospital Sergeant Major GaestnerEpisode: "Shifting Sands"
2015 The Strain Medical OfficerEpisode: "Quick and Painless"
2018 The Expanse Kolvoord6 episodes
2020 The Comey Rule Man Behind HimEpisode: "Night One"
2021 Mayor of Kingstown TomEpisode: "Orion"
2023 Murdoch Mysteries Bruce MarshallEpisode: "Cool Million"
2023 Fellow Travelers Barker2 episodes
2024 The Madness Levi2 episodes

References

  1. "Chris Owens Biography (1961-)". filmreference.com.
  2. Teichman, Glenn (8 November 1998). "Sixth season of 'X-Files' sets small screen afire". The Albany Herald . Albany, NY. p. TV8.
  3. "Closing 'The X-Files'; As the series looks to its last year, we take on 20 mysteries Mulder and Scully still haven't solved". The State . Columbia, SC. 20 May 2000. p. D1.
  4. "Chris Owens". Canada's Awards Database. Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.